Written questions by Rankin.

What assessment her Department has made of Defence Sector exclusions within the Parliamentary Pension Scheme portfolio and whether this is compatible with Government defence sector financial objectives.

The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund is independent from government and investment decisions are a matter for the scheme’s trustees.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on levels of investment in the UK defence industry of the requirement under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 that Paris-aligned Benchmarks and UK Climate Transition Benchmarks exclude companies involved in activities related to controversial weapons; and whether the Government has evaluated any wider (a) economic and (b) investment impacts of that requirement.

As set out in response to PQ UIN 43043 on 9 April 2025, The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitors and supervises benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation . The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025. The Treasury launched a consultation on the future regulatory regime for benchmarks and benchmark administrators on 17 December 2025. This consultation seeks views on proposals to reform the UK’s existing benchmarks regime, including the Climate Transition Benchmark and Paris-Aligned Benchmark labels.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the dominant nationality principle was applied in the case of Alaa Abdel Fattah.

The principle to which the Hon Member refers was not relevant to the provision of consular support in this case and was not therefore applied.

Whether her Department records the nationality and immigration status of people arrested for public order related offences at protests.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales by offence group as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series, available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UKHowever, as part of this collection data is not collected centrally on the nationality or immigration status of people arrested, or whether the arrest occurred at a protest.While not routinely collected as part of the statistical data collection, in instances where the police believe the individual arrested is a foreign national, they should contact Immigration Enforcement’s National Control and Command Unit (NCCU). The contact would lead to the recording of details which would include the individual’s nationality. The details provided by the individual allow NCCU to complete an immigration status check to establish the person’s status in the UK, this would also be recorded on HO systems once established. To clarify, such a recording would only take place following contact from the police.

What her planned timetable is for implementation of the free speech complaints scheme.

​​On 28 April, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education signed commencement regulations, bringing the following provisions into force on 1 August 2025:​Duties on higher education (HE) providers and their constituent institutions to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law, put in place a code of practice on freedom of speech and academic freedom and promote freedom of speech.​A ban on non-disclosure agreements for staff and students at HE providers in cases of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.​Duties on the Office for Students (OfS) to promote freedom of speech and the power to identify good practice and advise HE providers on it.The department is seeking a suitable legislative vehicle to amend and repeal other elements of the Act in due course, including in relation to the complaints scheme.​ In the meantime, as well as the new provider duties in place, the OfS Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom continues to work with the sector to offer advice and share best practice, so providers can protect free speech and academic freedom more effectively.​

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Palestinian Authority on reports that the Palestinian school curriculum includes incitement and antisemitism.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 18 November to Question 88033, and on 16 December to Question 98592. In addition, it should be noted that the UK does not fund any educational material issued by the Palestinian Authority. We provide support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is accompanied with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the November 2025 IMPACT-se review of the 2025-26 Palestinian Authority school curriculum on incitement and antisemitism.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 18 November to Question 88033, and on 16 December to Question 98592. In addition, it should be noted that the UK does not fund any educational material issued by the Palestinian Authority. We provide support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is accompanied with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether there are any conditions applied to funding support for education in the Palestinian Authority.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided on 18 November to Question 88033, and on 16 December to Question 98592. In addition, it should be noted that the UK does not fund any educational material issued by the Palestinian Authority. We provide support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is accompanied with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the retirement villages sector and the role of specialist older people's housing on the ability of older people to live independently for longer.

We are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the right supply of suitable housing, including specialist older people’s housing.High quality, safe, and suitable homes can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of DCVax-L following its trial at King’s College Hospital.

The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of DCVax-L following its trial at King’s College Hospital.Northwest Biotherapeutics has submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for DCVax-L, an immunotherapy for glioblastoma. The MHRA is unable to comment on applications during the process of review, but the MHRA can confirm that this application is not affected by any historical backlogs and is assessing all applications rapidly for safety, quality, and efficacy.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the time of licensing. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is in discussions with the manufacturer of DCVax-L, Northwest Biotherapeutics, about a potential appraisal subject to licensing.

With reference to BBC article entitled Tax rises could push food prices higher, warn supermarkets, published on 26 October, what steps she is taking to work with retailers to mitigate the impact of food inflation.

The Government has announced a Food Inflation Gateway to assess and monitor regulation that could add to food prices. This will improve coordination and give food businesses a clear line of sight on upcoming regulatory changes, helping to keep costs downThe Government is also negotiating an agri-food agreement with the EU to reduce trade frictions, which is expected to save businesses up to £200 per fresh food shipment, helping to limit cost pressures across supply chains.In addition, supermarkets will see a reduction in their total business rates bills in 2026/27 compared with 2025/26, and this will be kept under review at the next revaluation. The Office for Budget Responsibility does not expect changes in business rates to have a material impact on food inflation.Overall, the OBR’s forecast shows government policy will reduce CPI inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2026/27. This is the biggest near-term reduction in inflation due to government policy ever forecast by the OBR at a single fiscal event, outside of a crisis.

With reference to BBC article entitled Tax rises could push food prices higher, warn supermarkets, published on 26 October, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in business rates on food inflation.

HM Treasury does not produce forecasts of the UK economy. Forecasting the economy, including the potential impact of Government policy decisions, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which published its latest forecast on 26 November 2025. The OBR publishes estimates of the impact of policy decisions, however the potential impact of an increase in business rates on levels of food inflation was accessed not to have a material impact.The OBR’s forecast shows wider government policy will reduce CPI inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2026/27. This is the biggest near-term reduction in inflation due to government policy ever forecast by the OBR at a single fiscal event, outside of a crisis.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Chair of Ofcom is independent from His Majesty’s Government.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit. The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the specification and criteria for the next Chair of Ofcom.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit. The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is compliant with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit. The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Innovation and Technology, what representations her Department has received on candidates to be the next Chair of Ofcom.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit. The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Innovation and Technology, whether the advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Chair of Ofcom will include a member who is independent of Government; and if she will publish the names of panel members.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The names of all panel members are included in the role advert which is published on gov.uk.

What estimates her Department has made of the potential effect of increases in indirect taxation on the rate of inflation, with particular reference to the impact of increases in tobacco duty; and if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Institute for Fiscal Studies' estimate that cumulative increases in indirect taxation since the last Budget have added 0.4 percentage points to the current inflation rate.

Forecasting the economy, including the effect of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR set out its assessment of policy measures in its Autumn Budget 2024 forecast and will update this analysis, drawing on the latest outturn data, at its next forecast next week on 26 November. The Chancellor has asked departments to prioritise reducing inflation when developing policies for the Autumn Budget, ensuring decisions support stability and long-term growth.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of moving the uprating of excise duty from RPI to CPI to help reduce inflation.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 13 November 2025 to PQ UIN 88538.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that Al-Ikhlas Education Centre in Willesden hosted Scout meetings.

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively. The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report. DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.